Grand Opening and Awards

Artist Candice Chovanec with her Best of Show painting “My Mother and Her Daughter”

Just a few weeks ago, we detailed the exciting news of Wausau, Wisconsin’s newest addition: the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art. Its grand opening was hosted on October 7 with acclaimed artist Alyssa Monks, who helped announce the artists selected for the 2017 National Juried Art Exhibition.

Wisconsin is officially the home of a new art museum: the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, which will aim to “unleash the region’s creative energy and engage a broad and diverse audience in conversation about how art connects us, allowing us to grow and thrive as a community,” as the museum’s website asserts.

Executive Director David Hummer with artists Candice Chovanec and Alyssa Monks“Woman in Wind” by Felice House

The museum ceremoniously opened its doors on October 7 with an exciting event that welcomed established artist Alyssa Monks and featured newly selected artists for the 2017 National Juried Art Exhibition. Best of Show — a $10,000 prize — was awarded by Monks to artist Candice Chovanec for her magnetic piece titled “My Mother and Her Daughter.” Second Place was awarded to Joseph Castle for his sculpture “Meet Me on the Mountain.” Third Place was grabbed by Esteban Ocampo Firaldo for his “Self Portrait as an Artist.” Fine Art Connoisseur also presented Candice Chovanec with an Award of Excellence.

Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.